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Some desirable properties of data abstraction facilities

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J. J. HorningAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGPLAN Notices, Volume 11, Issue SI

Pages 60 - 62

https://doi.org/10.1145/942574.807119

Published: 01 March 1976 Publication History

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Abstract

It is currently popular to say that programming languages need “data abstraction facilities,” and to assert that the provision of such facilities would provide conceptual and practical advantages in the domain of data structures akin to the advantages provided by procedures in the domain of computational structures. This note explores some of the implications of this metaphor, without attempting to make it precise. I shall use the term capsule to refer to the data analog of procedure. [Those who are familiar with the SIMULA class, the CLU cluster, or the ALPHARD form, may use any of these as an approximation to capsule; I use a neutral term to avoid implying the details of any particular language.]

First, what are the advantages provided by procedures (subroutines, functions, macros)? I can think of at least eight (highly interrelated) categories: 1) avoidance of repetition, 2) modular program structure, 3) a basis for structured programming, 4) conceptual units for understanding and reasoning about programs, 5) clearly defined interfaces that may be precisely specified, 6) units of maintenance and improvement, 7) a language extension mechanism, and 8) units for separate compilation. Let us consider each of these in turn.

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Atkinson MMorrison R(2005)Persistent first class procedures are enoughFoundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science10.1007/3-540-13883-8_75(223-240)Online publication date: 31-May-2005
https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-13883-8_75
Morrison RDearle ABailey PBrown AAtkinson MLehman MHünke HBoehm B(1985)The persistent store as an enabling technology for integrated project support environmentsProceedings of the 8th international conference on Software engineering10.5555/319568.319614(166-172)Online publication date: 1-Aug-1985
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/319568.319614
Atkinson MMorrison R(1985)Procedures as persistent data objectsACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems10.1145/4472.44777:4(539-559)Online publication date: 1-Oct-1985
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/4472.4477
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Some desirable properties of data abstraction facilities
1. Software and its engineering

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Published In

ACM SIGPLAN Notices Volume 11, Issue SI

Proceedings of the 1976 conference on Data : Abstraction, definition and structure

March 1976

190 pages

ISSN:0362-1340

EISSN:1558-1160

DOI:10.1145/942574

Issue’s Table of Contents

Proceedings of the 1976 conference on Data : Abstraction, definition and structure
March 1976
195 pages
ISBN:9781450378987
DOI:10.1145/800237
Chairmen:
Elliott I. Organick,
Henry F. Ledgard,
Robert W. Taylor

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 March 1976

Published in SIGPLAN Volume 11, Issue SI

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Cited By

View all

Atkinson MMorrison R(2005)Persistent first class procedures are enoughFoundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science10.1007/3-540-13883-8_75(223-240)Online publication date: 31-May-2005
https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-13883-8_75
Morrison RDearle ABailey PBrown AAtkinson MLehman MHünke HBoehm B(1985)The persistent store as an enabling technology for integrated project support environmentsProceedings of the 8th international conference on Software engineering10.5555/319568.319614(166-172)Online publication date: 1-Aug-1985
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/319568.319614
Atkinson MMorrison R(1985)Procedures as persistent data objectsACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems10.1145/4472.44777:4(539-559)Online publication date: 1-Oct-1985
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/4472.4477
Popek GHorning JLampson BMitchell JLondon R(1977)Notes on the design of EuclidProceedings of an ACM conference on Language design for reliable software10.1145/800022.808307(11-18)Online publication date: 1-Mar-1977
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/800022.808307
Popek GHorning JLampson BMitchell JLondon R(1977)Notes on the design of EuclidACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes10.1145/390019.8083072:2(11-18)Online publication date: 1-Mar-1977
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/390019.808307
Popek GHorning JLampson BMitchell JLondon R(1977)Notes on the design of EuclidACM SIGOPS Operating Systems Review10.1145/390018.80830711:2(11-18)Online publication date: 1-Mar-1977
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/390018.808307
Popek GHorning JLampson BMitchell JLondon R(1977)Notes on the design of EuclidACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/390017.80830712:3(11-18)Online publication date: 1-Mar-1977
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/390017.808307
Brosgol B(1977)Some issues in data types and type checkingDesign and Implementation of Programming Languages10.1007/BFb0021421(102-130)Online publication date: 1977
https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0021421
Atkinson MMorrison R(1985)Procedures as persistent data objectsACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems10.1145/4472.44777:4(539-559)Online publication date: 1-Oct-1985
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/4472.4477
Winner RCarter E(1983)Toward type-oriented dynamic vertical migrationACM SIGMICRO Newsletter10.1145/1096419.109643914:4(128-139)Online publication date: 1-Dec-1983
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1096419.1096439
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